


Courtship

by hollydermovoi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-16
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-11-29 10:37:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/685982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollydermovoi/pseuds/hollydermovoi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angels are traditional, and the Winchesters remain unamused. Featuring guests appearances from Hestia and Death (also Bobby, who can't be bothered with these damn idjits)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Angels are extreme traditionalists.  
Which is a short way of saying that the little feathered bastards refused to take the easy way, like asking you out, or kissing you. No, the irritating fuckers believed in courtship.  
Which was just a little too girly for Dean to handle.  
I mean, it was kind of cute, having Cas offer him daisies and looking adorably pleased when he accepted, except that he offered them at inappropriate times, like when he was about to get eaten by this weeks monster, or when he was showering- not the point really. The point is, it’s irritating to Dean to know that Cas is trying to bribe him into…whatever this was and refusing to accept that Dean was willing to go out with him already without the flowers.  
What was really nauseating was watching a flipping archangel for chrissake follow Sammy like a frickin’ duckling and pranking him like they were in second grade and the way to show your affection was to pull someones hair or punch them in the arm. Didn’t help any that Sammy was doing a remarkably good job at ignoring said archangel’s pranks and over all ignoring him. If it wasn’t for how frantic and sad the trickster was getting, as well as the fact that Sammy was also ignoring Dean, he’d be laughing right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel had no idea what made Dean Winchester more special than other humans. So he’d gone to talk to the one brother who treated him like flock. Said brother had informed him that this meant Dean was meant for Castiel, that they were bond mates. This made Castiel very happy, until he came to the realization that Dean could do so much better than him- and that his brother was in love with Sam. But he pushed past his fear, having been reassured by his brother, Dean’s brother and Dean’s foster father that Dean was in love with him, and since he had gained permission, he started to court the hunter. Dean accepted his flowers, but always looked bewildered and sometimes angry which scared him.  
What was horrible though was Gabriel. For an archangel of the Lord, Gabriel was acting like a…well, not like a confident archangel should while courting. And Sam kept turning him down.   
——  
Gabriel was sitting on Bobby Singers porch, wings stretched out. He was thinking about Sam, and about how lovely the hunter was, and how soon, he’d never have to worry about him again. And he began to mourn, his wings drooping in sorrow.  
——  
The saddest song Sam had ever hear was playing through the house. He’d been sitting with Dean and Cas, researching when the song started. Almost instantly, Cas had stiffened, before apologizing, saying that his brother needed him, and disappearing. The song continued, and finally, Sam couldn’t bear it’s sorrow any more and went to look for it’s source.  
He found it in a very unusual place. Gabriel- ex-pagan god and archangel of the Lord was sitting on the porch railing, leaning against Cas. The song was coning from him.  
Frightened, Sam thought about comforting the archangel when he over heard them talking.  
“I thought he liked me. We have a bond.”  
“I know.”  
“I’m fading little brother.”  
“I know. I will miss you, Gabriel.”  
“I really wish he would just accept my courtship. I’d make him happy.”  
“I know you would, brother.”  
Silence. Sam thought of leaving, but then Gabriel started talking again.  
“Damn Winchesters and their inability to see what’s good for them.”  
Wait…what?


	3. Chapter 3

Sam returned to the living room and sat down next to Dean. He then said, in a very stunned voice “I think-” he broke off, and flushed and looked uncomfortable, he turned and looked directly at Dean. “I think I’m being courted by an archangel of the Lord.” He waited patiently for Dean’s scoff and “that’s crazy”. What he got was a snort and an eyeroll before Dean took a gulp of the beer he was holding and saying “Yeah, no shit Sammy.”  
“Wait, you knew?”  
“Of course I knew. He asked me for my frickin’ permission, just like Cas asked you for yours. What the hell think he was talking about when he told you? Did you think he was joking? Can’t really blame you, he was a trickster…” he then looked at Sam and seemed to read the confused thoughts running through his mind. He then placed the beer on the table and stared at Sam incredulously.  
“He seriously didn’t tell you?  
“No, Dean, I just thought he was being a jackass.”  
“Sam, you gotta understand, these angels, they take relationships dead seriously. About as seriously as they take their dear ol’ Dad.” Sam was startled- there wasn’t much that came close to God in the angel’s eyes, and when something did… “Exactly,” said Dean, nodding towards Sam. “Essentially, and this is from Bobby and Cas told me, when they find someone they intend to court, they either succeed in courting them or…”  
“Or they die.”  
“Why the hell else would a guy like me accept flowers from anyone, let alone another dude? I mean, I don’t approve of the practice, or the methods, but I don’t want Cas to die.” The ‘again’ was implied. Sam took a minute to recall how broken Dean was whenever Cas was dead, or absent for too long, and then he remembered how he felt when he’d found out that Gabriel had been slain in order to prevent Lucifer from possessing him, and how happy then been when their respective angels had returned mysteriously from the unknown afterlife of angel’s remarkably alive and relatively healthy. And he knew, then and there, that he couldn’t be responsible for Gabriel’s death again, even if he wasn’t as comfortable with the idea of spending the rest of his life with the archangel as Dean was with Cas.  
There was just one problem.  
He turned back towards Dean. “The pranking- that’s his idea of courtship?”  
Dean snorted and took another swig of his beer. “Yep. And as much as I hate the flowers, it looks like I pulled the long straw for once with those arrogant, halo toting crazies.” He finished off his beer, and placed the empty bottle on the table and leaned back onto the sofa. Sam, lost deep in thought about how he could accept the most annoying form of flirting he’d ever encountered, was surprised when Dean spoke again, sounding thoughtful. “Y’know, I bet I have a way to fix this…” Then he got up and yelled :Gabriel! I need to talk to you, you feathery jackass!” and stomped off towards the porch. In about five minutes, he guessed Dean had found Gabriel, because with a barely audible flutter of wings, Castiel was sitting next to him on the couch, looking very flustered. “I don’t understand.” he said finally. “The one I’m courting demands to speak with my elder brother in private, and he keeps sending me mixed messages…” his voice trailed off, and he fixed those blue eyes on Sam. “Although I don’t approve of your reaction to Gabriel’s courtship, it appears I need your advice.”  
And Sam definitely needed a drink. Badly. Now.


	4. Chapter 4

Taking a breath and resolving to get this over with, Sam began”OK. First things first, stop giving Dean flowers.”  
“What is wrong with flowers?” Cas looked honestly confused. Sam sighed  
“Nothing’s wrong with flowers, it’s just that Dean finds them girly.”  
“I do not understand why that is a problem.” Which was really the crux of the issue.  
“It’s not, it’s just Dean.” Cas tilted his head to one side but seemed to understand, because he nodded. Then his expression (or lack thereof) fell dramatically. He almost looked sad, which made Sam tense up. Cas didn’t do expressions. “I need to give him gifts, and he needs to accept them.” said Cas, very stiffly.  
Well that wasn’t scary at all.  
“I never said to stop giving him things, just to stop giving him flowers. I can give you some suggestions if you’ld like.” He saw Cas visibly relax, and the angel turned towards him, his expression much less guarded. “That would be most welcome.”  
Damn, he needed a drink. No sooner had he thought that then a new bottle of beer appeared in his hand. “Thanks.” he said gratefully, opening it and taking a swig. “Now, it there’s one thing Dean absolutely loves it’s pie…”  
——  
Dean looked at the archangel. Now he might not be the best at this emotional crap, but even he could tell the archangel was hurting. And while he felt bad for the angel, he also thought it was Gabriel’s own damn fault.  
So he started with an accusation. “You know he didn’t even know you were courting him?” How the Hell did you expect him to accept something you never even offered? I thought you had guidelines to follow?”  
The shock on Gabriel’s face when he turned towards him was a very efective silencer.  
“He didn’t know? But I told him! I-” and here the angel cut himself off and blanched. “I didn’t tell him.”  
Well that explained a whole frickin’ lot.  
“For an archangel of the Lord, you are ridiculously awkward at this whole…wooing thing. One would think God would give you some frickin’ balls. OK, number one, stop with the pranks, unless you want to start a prank war. Number two, never give or do anything to Sam that involves clowns. Number three…” out of the corner of his mind he noticed Gabriel was taking notes, but he decided to ignore that. “..he’s a frickin’ bleeding heart, so be nice to helpless animals, don’t hurt them…” “Uh, Dean” interrupted the archangel. “These are good tips, but do you have a list of things I can give him?”  
“Yeah I do. Number one- books. Number two, unless your impossibly non-diabetic self, Sammy’s a health nut, so healthy food. Number three books. Number four…”


	5. Chapter 5

Despite confiding in Dean, and the fact that his elder brother was getting courted himself, and despite the fact that he’d agreed to “wipe the slate clean”, Sam had had doubts about Gabriel being serious about this. Sure, he’d seemed heartbroken at Sam’s supposed rejection, but Sam just kept waiting. The other shoe had to drop eventually, he’d told himself. The being courting him was an infamous Trickster after all, despite his reformation.  
But.  
The other shoe hadn’t dropped yet.  
Gabriel kept doing these marvelous things- they’d gone to Ashland to see Troilus and Cressida, toured Pompei, cruised on the Titanic. He’d even gifted him what Sam suspected was at least a good 2/3’s of what had once been the great library in Alexandria. If this had happened right after Jess’s death, he would have been happy to place his entire being into Gabriel’s hands, simply because all of the sudden he was thoughtful.  
But.  
This wasn’t right after Jess’s death, it was closest to Ruby’s death (and Madison’s, but we’ll get into that later) and if there was one thing he’d learned from that bitch it was to never trust a supernatural being who’d once been your enemy who was not only suddenly your friend, (ignoring the fact that Gabriel had proven his friendship and loyalty before the whole courting deal) but who wanted to, as Dean put it, bump uglies in the dark in a sort of bedroom tango. Even if said being was endorsed by Angels. Actually, especially if said being was endorsed by Angel’s.  
So Sam accepted an original (and signed!!!!) copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and listened to Gabriel’s stories about how the author had been inspired when he’d sent him on a journey across the globe as a towel, and laughed in all the right places, but he stayed away.  
Because while it’d taken him a dangerously long amount of time to learn his lesson, he had learned it.  
And he would not make the same mistakes again.  
The only thing he had to be thankful for right now was that he would likely not need to kill the archangel. Well, he hoped he wouldn’t. If it came down to it, he could always bribe Dean with pie…


	6. Chapter 6

It was raining the night Sam left. Well, pouring actually, visibility was such shit he almost decided not to leave until something prompted him to walk away. He would’ve questioned that instinct, but he was already questioning more important things, like the fact that Dean would probably never give him another chance to truly be brother’s if he walked out again, or the little voice that insisted that him leaving would somehow kill Gabriel, if this whole thing wasn’t some massive joke- which it was, he reassured himself. He was so preoccupied with silencing those thoughts, he completely failed to notice that even though he’d only been walking about five minutes, not only was he not in the salvage yard anymore, he was in the middle of a fucking forest. He only returned to the reality of the situation when a voice rang out from somewhere in the down poor. “Care to join me by my fire, Sam?”  
—-  
It was Dean who found him. He’d woken up to Gabriel shaking him and demanding to know where Sammy was, and a feeling of dread filled his being. Without even stopping to put a shirt on, or shoes, he ran down the stairs and out the front door, towards his baby, which should really be with Sam, the fact that she was still here, meant that Sam was out there, somewhere, without a car and no fucking way to trace him angelically. If he drove fast enough in the right direction, he’d be able to catch up to his brother. No way to track him, thanks to all that fucking rain. Mentally he cursed himself for being so stupid. Damnit, he’d meant to tell Gabriel that Sam was uncomfortable, he really had, but he’d figured that Gabriel had noticed (clearly not), or that Sam would change his mind (negative on that one) or that Sam would let him know before leaving.   
He was about ten feet from his baby when he tripped and fell. Cursing, he turned to look at what he’d fallen over, and felt relief flood his body, followed immediately by fear. He’d found Sammy. Problem was, Sam was unconscious in the yard for no apparant reason.  
“Sam!”  
—-  
Gabriel was furious. He’d failed to prove the honest seriousness of his intent to his relationship shy mate, and Sam had run away. When he found the younger Winchester he was going to-wait. Not. He couldn’t do that, it’d make Sam even more wary. He tried scanning for his mate, only to curse when he remembered the protective sigils carved into his ribs. So with angelic powers out of the question, he went to wake Dean, whose immediate move to action only made him feel a little better. Castiel chose that moment to appear, weaving calming Grace around him and apologizing for the sigils. The comfort Gabriel accepted, but he brushed off the apologies, knowing that the sigils were only a problem when they needed to find the Winchesters.  
They were jostled out of their brotherly moment by Dean’s shout. With barely a thought, they flew to his side, only to find him lying unconscious next to an equally unconscious Sam. Frowning,Gabriel reached towards his mate, healing Grace at the ready, noticing Castiel do the same, only to be stopped by an achingly familiar voice.  
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” she said calmly. “Honestly Gabriel, you should know better.”  
(AN: Remember- if you can guess her identity, you get a chapter of this story AND either a ficlet of your choice/ a chapter of another story. Hint: Greek. Fire)


	7. Chapter 7

(AN: guessing games over y’all. Here’s to the 6 people who guessed correctly. If you didn’t hear from me, please contact me either here or via tumblr to collect your prize. This one’s dedicated to LilliaJohnson)

A woman appeared on top of the Impala. She was short- only a little taller than Gabriel. She had orange red hair in hundreds of braids pulled back from her face with a blue scarf. Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and the dress she was wearing was ash grey, and very rumpled. There were scorch marks all over her attire.  
Castiel drew his blade, leaning protectively over his mate. He was not sure as to who this woman was, or what she had done to Dean, but he would teach her a lesson she’d never forget about the perils of harming an angel’s mate. He was about to charge when his brother stopped him with one hand. Confused, he looked questioningly at Gabriel, who, surprisingly, didn’t seem all that worried. “Hestia.” He said. “Thank God you’re here.  
The woman’s- Hestia’s- mouth twisted in a grimace. “Careful Gabriel. I want nothing to do with the gods these days. You should know how that feels.” She fixed Castiel with a piercing gaze, then smiled, before carefully brushing soot off of her hand with her scarf. “You must be Dean’s mate. I am Hestia. I promise, no harm will come to your mate under my care. Any questions?” Grudgingly, he accepted her hand, kissing the top of it in the way he’d seen someone do to Ellen once (which had made her giggle, a truly horrifying sight) before sighing resignedly- for some reason, the second she had said her name, he’d felt completely assured that Dean was safe in her hands. But he did have a question. “What did you do?” She smiled again, and her eyes burned “I gave him a starter coal. And now, he seeks his hearth.”


	8. Chapter 8

(AN: This one is dedicated to skittleAcullen)  
“Ya did what?”  
Hestia smiled politely. ” I gave them starter coals. Now they seek their hearths.”  
“Yeah, ya told me that much. What did you do to them?” Bobby yelled.  
The smile disappeared. “Do you know who I am? I am the goddess of fire- and home. Now, I may have spent the last couple of centuries in a tree for reasons that are none of your business, but I know how to do my γαμημένος job, do you understand me? είναι σε μια αναζήτηση. ζητούν τις εστίες τους.Κατάλαβες?”   
“I don’t understand a damn thing ya just said, ya idjit woman-“   
Castiel interrupted “She said she knows how to do her fucking job, that they’re on a quest- they seek their hearths.”  
“OK, fine, they seek their hearths. What the fuck does that mean?”  
“Ever heard of Odysseus?”  
“Balls.”  
*  
After subjecting Hestia to as many tests as he could think of, Bobby finally gave in to the inevitable. He grudgingly admitted that although there was no lore on cases like these, it did seem like something a Greek god would do, only with less sex. He invited her in for a drink, which she declined. Instead she took up residence in his fireplace, after helping Gabriel and Cas move the Winchester’s safely into the house, so that they could at least lie in bed while they were on their damn quests for a hearth. When she finally fell asleep, he did the one thing he could think of.  
He summoned Death.


	9. Chapter 9

(AN: Apologies for the very long wait. This chapter is dedicated to Yumikire. I promise to work harder on completing this story, as well as to fill the prize requests y’all made)

Well, actually, he called him. Some time between staking the Trickster and losing the use of his legs, a number had been added to his phone with only a D to identify it. He’d only called Death once before, when a rogue reaper had been stealing the lives of children. Other than that, Death called him, something that _still_ made him very nervous. But he’d do anything for the two idjits lying unconscious in his living room, so he dialed. A feminine voice answered. “Thank you for calling Styx Incorporated, this is Tessa speaking, how may I help you.” 

“Yeah, this is Bobby Singer-“ 

“Mr. Singer, hello. It doesn’t seem that the Winchester’s are currently dead, are you calling on behalf of another hunter? Perhaps I can help you.”

“I don’t think so. See, I’ve got Hestia here, and-“

“Hestia? As in _Goddess_ of the _Hearth_? Are you sure?”

“Well, no, but that’s why I’m calling, see-“ The line went dead. Damn Reapers and their interpersonal skills. Wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now, he turned to go towards his library to search through the lore again and stifled a yelp when he came face to face with Death himself. “Take me to her please Robert,” he said. So Bobby did.

Unsurprisingly, she was in the fireplace still, though unlike the less time he’d seen her, she was asleep, curled up tightly. Flames danced over her, but nothing was burning. She didn’t look that good- she was _very_ pale. Also, if she _was_ Hestia, the sleeping was worrisome.

Gods didn’t need sleep.

From behind him, Death made an odd choking sound. Alarmed, Bobby turned around, and saw that Death had a hand over his mouth, and what looked suspiciously like tears running down his cheeks. _“Hestia,”_ he whispered almost reverently, and the girls woman’s eyes fluttered open. “άδης,” she said happily, and reached for him.

In an instant, Death was on his knees in front of the fireplace, arms around the woman, and they clung to each other almost desperately, as if afraid to let go. 

Dang it, she really _was_ Hestia.

What did that mean for his idjit boys?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for angelwingz21

What it _meant_ , was something Hestia had _already told him _.__

Sam and Dean were searching for their hearths- their _homes_. Two lonely souls looking for where they belonged.

For Dean, it was pretty simple- the Impala in a nice garage, the smell of pie in the air, and Sam at his side on hunts.Deeper down was his seemingly selfish wish for more time to indulge in things that others took for _granted_ , like nice long hot baths, and cuddling in the afterglow. Things like kissing Cas long and deep, not as a start to something persay, but rather as a simple expression of joy. He wished for his surrogate father to be to be happy and _safe_ , and for the archangel who was in love with his brother to make Sammy happy. And since he _knew_ where his hearth was, the fire was more than willing to let him go. He just wouldn't _get._

And the reason for that was because Sammy was on some ridiculously long soul-searching journey, and he wasn't leaving Sammy alone in the flames.

Not again.

*

_He'd approached the fire, cautiously of course, silver knife at the ready. The small woman had smiled at him gently before **reaching into the fire** and pulling out a flaming coal, which she held up to his face._

_"I'm so sorry, Sam, that all you've ever wanted was a home, and that my life's blood was used to take two of them from you. Please...take this coal. Let fire lead you to where you belong."_

_Yeah like he was going to fall for that shit._

_And yet..._

_He didn't fear her._

_"Sam. I promise you, you'll come to no harm at my hands. I believe in protecting the sanctity of the home, and Dean wouldn't have a home without you. Please. Take this coal. I'll be with you this entire time."_

_He wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but she said she could lead him home, something he'd never had, something Gabriel had said he could provide. And something was telling him he could trust her. So despite every Dean giving instinct screaming at him to not do this, he dropped the knife , reached out and took the coal. After that, his entire world became flames. They whispered to him, swirled about him, and eventually formed five distinct columns. Those columns defined themselves into **people** , people he knew. One was Jess, one was Ruby, one was Sarah, one was Madison, and the last one was Gabriel. **Sam,** they whispered to him. **Sam, we are your past, your present, and your future.**_

_He didn't know Dean was waiting for him past the flames. If he had, he probably wouldn't have taken as much time with each flame._


End file.
